First-team defender Gianluca Frabotta played the entirety of Albion’s PL2 Black Country derby draw with Wolves at Aggborough Stadium on Monday night.
Tom Edozie gave Wolves a first-half lead, but Harry Whitwell hit back during the second 45 to earn Richard Beale’s men a fully deserved share of the spoils.
A fast-paced start from the hosts set the tempo, with Ben Cisse making a save from a close-range free-kick before they eventually broke the deadlock - Edozie scrambling in at the back post following Leo Lopes’ cross from the right.
Albion battled back, though, and while their shot-stopper had to deny another close-range effort to keep his team in it, the visitors enjoyed better opportunities prior to the interval.
Frabotta’s effective deliveries caused issues, leading to Alex Williams heading narrowly over, Muhamed Diomande seeing a deflected effort saved by goalkeeper Josh Gracey, while from set plays, midfielder Whitwell curled a free-kick just wide from the edge of the box.
Two more glorious opporutnies fell the Baggies' way before the halfway mark. First, Akeel Higgins latched onto Diomande’s long, diagonal pass but shot over, while Whitwell showed great tenacity to win the ball back in the home box but, like his colleague, fired off target.
More inviting chances went begging after the restart. Deago Nelson somehow headed wide with Gracey stranded from Eseosa Sule’s looping ball into him, and the wing-back found the Wanderers keeper in his way when a back-post header was parried.
That dominance soon paid off, and Gracey between the sticks will have been frustrated to concede the leveller.
Full-back Williams’ ball behind the home defence was flicked on by Whitwell, who managed to squirm an effort through the gloves of the shot-stopper to make it 1-1 on 57 minutes.
Things should’ve got even better when Higgins raced into box following more battling work in the middle of the park. Frustratingly, his eventual strike cannoned back off the crossbar with Sule poking the rebound wide.
An even more presentable chance came and went for the Glaswegian late on when Whitwell slipped him in for a one-on-one with Gracey. Sadly, the keeper guessed right to block the strike in the dying embers and confirm a share of the points in Kidderminster.
Albion: Cisse, Williams (Parker 80), Mohammed, Diomande, Frabotta, Hall (c), Mandey, Whitwell, Nelson (McDonald 80), Higgins, Sule.
Substitutes: Wallis, Humphries, Kirton.
See how they got on at Aggborough Stadium in the WBA TV footage below.
